Welcome to

My QSO Journey

Call Sign: KZ7K | Location: Maricopa, Arizona

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ExtraLicense Class
133Countries Worked
11,429QSO’s Logged

After 10 years of playing radio in a grey area and procrastinating on getting licensed, December 15, 2025 I finally attempted and passed my Technician exam and initially that was the only thing I wanted But 3 days later I passed my General and on January 27, 2026 I passed my Amateur Extra.

Today I spend my time chasing DX contacts, operating portable from remote locations, working DX stations on FT8, and training for emergency communications situations.

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QSO Journey - Monument Valley desert shack illustration

Find your way

Explore By Topic

Every guide on this site ties back to one of these roadmaps. Jump to the one that matches where you’re at.

Start HereNew to the hobby? Begin with this roadmap Building Your First StationAntennas, cables, and shack builds Clubs and NetsFinding, joining, and running a club or net Emergency Comms & PrepARES, RACES, Winlink, and what actually holds up Getting LicensedStudy path, exam day, and what comes after Getting On The AirHF, digital modes, and making contacts GMRS Complete GuideThe $35 license, radios, and real-world range Handheld Radios (HTs)Choosing, comparing, and programming your first HT Mesh NetworkingMeshtastic, MeshCore, and AREDN explained PACE Communications PlanA plan for when the grid goes down Where To Spend Your MoneyA buying guide that won’t burn you

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Start Here If You’re New

Fresh off the bench

Latest From The Blog

  • Where Are the Young Hams? Not at Your Club Meeting

    Younger operators are all over radio. They’re just not at club meetings. My take on GMRS, mesh, unlicensed Baofengs, and what clubs need to change.

  • How to Use AI to Program Your Ham Radio (With a Free CHIRP File)

    I gave an AI assistant one plain-English prompt and got back a CHIRP-ready CSV with my local repeaters, calling frequencies, weather channels, and more. Here is the prompt, the file, and what you have to verify.

  • What Is an HF NVIS Regional Net?

    What an HF NVIS regional net is, why it beats a repeater net as a regional comms test, plus modes, antennas, radios, and four station builds.

  • Operating POTA on a Family Vacation Without Making It a Whole Thing

    A 20-minute activation squeezed into a family trip beats a full setup that eats the whole afternoon.

  • Slim Jim vs J-Pole: Which Roll-Up Antenna Wins

    Part of our Building Your First Ham Radio Station guide. Both the Slim Jim and the classic J-Pole are popular roll-up wire antennas for VHF and UHF, and they get compared constantly since they share a similar half-wave design philosophy and a similar build process. What They Actually Have in Common Both are end-fed half-wave…

  • Repeater Coordination Councils: What They Do and Why It Matters

    Coordination is not legally required, but ignoring it is how repeater owners end up in years-long interference disputes.

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Clearing the shack

Gear I’m Selling

I periodically clear out gear I’m not using anymore. Take a look at what’s currently up for grabs.

See What’s For Sale

Ready to test?

Get Licensed, Online

I’m a licensed Volunteer Examiner and run online exam sessions using ExamTools and HamStudy, no folding table or community center required. Whether you’re going for your Technician or upgrading to Extra, I’ll help you find a session and walk you through what to bring.

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